You’ve seen the commercials and the magazine ads from products claiming to do all these wonderful things for your hair. They usually have beautiful models in the ads with healthy-looking, flowing, beautiful hair. But is all that just a lie?
A hair relaxer product that was marketed to make hair “instantly thicker and fuller, reversing damage from day one,” has allegedly done just the opposite, according to three women who tried it and are now suing the manufacturer, L’Oréal, for their subsequent scalp burns and hair loss.
The suit claims L’Oréal lured women into buying its product by getting celebs like Real Housewives of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey, Tracee Ellis Ross and celebrity hairstylists to vouch for it.
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Now, before we get all high and mighty and say that these women had no business getting a relaxer in the first place, don’t. Not everyone is about the natural life and that’s okay. In fact, that’s what makes black hair so magical; our textures and styles span across a very wide spectrum and all are beautiful.
One of three plaintiffs who came forward in the suit, Sharon Manier, claims she experienced scalp irritation from the relaxer, followed by hair loss, and that she now wears hairpieces and takes costly vitamins to help foster regrowth.
The suit alleges false advertising, fraud, negligence, and other claims of misrepresentation against L’Oréal. And it seeks damages of an amount to be determined by the court — which, when looking at past cases, could easily be in excess of $100 million, attorney Ben Meiselas of Geragos & Geragos tells Yahoo Beauty.
The company claims the product is safe and healthy for hair use because the product uses Indian fruit oil amla instead of lye. In general, the company has said that it provides “the safest and most effective” products for its customers.
Dorothy Riles, another one of the plaintiffs in the suit, claimed that after using the Amla relaxer, she experienced burns and scabs on her scalp and was left with several bald patches.
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Meiselas adds that his office has been “bombarded” with “literally hundreds of phone calls” from other women who have experienced product reactions similar to those of Riles and Manier. They began coming forward as soon as the lawsuit was filed, Meiselas notes, adding, “That data tells us we’ll be in the range of several thousand others coming forward.”
In an Amazon.com product review, one woman wrote claiming, “I am completely bald on the front portion of my head,” and…
… “My 26 year old daughter is upstairs crying her eyes out because her hair is gone.”
Geragos says the product is short on oil and long on danger, causing hair loss, breakage, scalp irritation, blisters and burns.
Matthew DiGirolamo, L’Oréal spokesperson, believes that the lawsuit is built on baseless claims.
“We do not believe the allegations in this lawsuit have merit,” DiGirolamo said. “For more than 100 years, L’Oréal has been committed to the safety of its consumers.”
For the latest on this suit and more on hair safety, click here.
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